Health

Pollen count: How to get better sleep if you have hay fever and counts are high


The pollen count in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has been forecast as moderate by the Met Office, following Wednesday’s summer scorcher when temperatures reached 25C in some areas of the UK. While the pollen count is moderate today it’s important to prepare for when high counts are at play, particularly if you’re a hay fever sufferer. While antihistamine tablets and nasal sprays can help keep symptoms at bay during the day, many people with hay fever find their symptoms worsen at night making sleep impossible.

A poll by Boots of 2,080 hay fever sufferers found 64 per cent had trouble sleeping due to their symptoms and an average of 72 minutes of sleep is lost each night when pollen levels are high.

So what can you do to ensure a better night’s sleep if you have hay fever.

A.Vogel offers a number of different solutions – here are five.

Keep windows shut

Keeping your windows shut during the day and at night can stop pollen from getting into your bedroom.

“It’s tempting to have your window opened during the summer months, especially at night, but if pollen is about, it really isn’t worth it. Invest in a good quality fan instead to keep your home cool and keep windows and doors shut,” it says.

It also advises: “To help keep your bedroom cool, close you curtains during warm days. This will help you feel less tempted to open windows at night as it makes your room have a more comfortable temperature to sleep in.

Wash your hair

Showering and washing your hair before bed is a good idea, it says, as pollen floating about during the day can stick to your hair.

“You don’t want pollen rubbing off on your pillow and then irritating you whilst you sleep,” it adds.

Change your bed linen regularly

Like your hair, you should wash your bed linen regularly to remove traces of pollen.

It advises: “Fresh bed linen is also great for helping you sleep better.

“When the sun is shining there is sometimes nothing more satisfying than getting a washing hung out to dry, but this is a bad idea if you suffer from hay fever.

“Dry your bed linen and clothes indoors as much as possible so they don’t pick up pollen. However if this isn’t possible, then try to only hang them out on low pollen days.”

Avoid alcohol in the evening

Well it may be tempting to have a night cap to send you to sleep, it doesn’t actually help you get a good night’s sleep overall.

It adds: “What’s more it suppresses the immune system and can make hay fever symptoms worse.”

Herbal help

Sometimes a shop-bought remedy may be the answer.

A.Vogel recommends: “Take some Pollinosan Hay fever tablets with your evening meal, which will help reduce hay fever symptoms during the night. You can also use Pollinosan Luffa Nasal Spray just before bedtime to clear your nose of pollen, dust and other allergen particles, restoring the fluid and moisture in your nose, making it feel more comfortable.

“If you eyes are sore before you go to bed, soothe them with eye drops. That annoying irritation could prevent you from getting to sleep, even though your eyes are closed! Euphrasia, also known as Eyebright, is a herb which has a long traditional use for easing inflammation and redness in the eyes. Fresh extracts of this herb can be found in A.Vogel Eye Drops.”

High pollen counts can also trigger bad breath – here’s how to keep hay fever-induced bad breath at bay.



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